Trials By Fire; Silver 42 and Yamaha Custom Bass

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[@wyattdover6276]

It's kind of crazy that this and 613 variations existed, and they are sort of "under the radar" horns. I know the new 835's just came out, but it'd be awesome if Yamaha started looking back on their old designs and pulled from them.

[@AidanRitchie]

Yeah, it would be nice. At least they made the Xenos good, finally.

[@tywaters6337]

Hi Aidan- the dealership I bought that Shires-Greenhoe valve from originally said the tuning slide was a Shires tuning slide. FWIW I have never seen a non-reversed Shires tuning slide though.

[@AidanRitchie]

Thanks for the info! Yeah I wonder... just judging by the fitments it looks like a 42 tuning slide. I'll do some more research!

[@BariBone]

I’m fairly sure that the Blair Bollinger models have non-reversed tuning slides. As for Shires tenors, though… never seen it either

[@AidanRitchie]

@@BariBone nope, all modern Shires are reversed

[@mr.lampkins2660]

good stuff!

[@NotSkilledHere]

I believe thethe SSP is the electroformed where the SS non Plus predates the SSP and is hand hammered from sheet SS. that's what i could find online. lol. unless you meant there are 2 variations of the SSP which idk lmao. i was told the SSP is the thin variant but if yours is thick then maybe teh SSP has 2 variants lol. my SSP 42bo feels fairly thin and the previous owner seems to have dinged it a few times tryna put it on trombone stands a bit . tbh im kinda worried about putting it on an in the bell stand so i have it on my hercules one that holds it by the slide braces lol.

[@AidanRitchie]

I think there are variations on the SSP bells- perhaps earlier ones are heavier than later.

[@normgardner4560]

Where do you find these horns? Word of mouth,,online? What online sites do you frequent or recommend?

[@AidanRitchie]

The Yamaha was on Ebay, the other was lots of legwork on multiple sites.

[@sceu25]

If you’ve played a Yamaha 8820, how would you put it up against a Bach 42BO? I’ve got the 8820 but wanna try out other horns

[@AidanRitchie]

The 882O is a totally fine horn- unless it's holding you back in a really obvious way, keep playing it! A normal 42BO is not going to play as well, but it may have more color and depth to the sound.

[@NotSkilledHere]

just to piggie back off of that. own both horns. well I own a 882GO (gold brass bell) and the 42BOR (sterling silver plus bell) so I think I can weigh in. I think the 42bo will have a lot more variations on which example is better than which so it DEFINITELY is a play the example you are looking to purchase. the 882O/GO is more consistent in terms of horn to horn variation, but as with any professional hand-made instruments, id still suggest playing the example you are looking at. you will be more likely to find many duds of bachs and many excellent bachs than it will be to find an excellent yamaha or a dud yamaha. however, the other way is true as well. it will be easier yamaha off the shelf and it be the average yamaha than you will take a bach off the shelf and find a middle/average bach. bach's are all over the map. BUT i definitely recommend playing the specific example of any horn you are going to purchase if possible. In my experience the 42 vs the 882 for many people really can be affected by the air. Bach horns in many cases tend to need more or be more picky about how you are breathing/blowing air into the horn. the 882 will do fine with bach style airflow from your lungs but not necessarily vice versa. for me, I find i need to have more consistent thick supply of air to properly play my 42bor and that seems to be the case for any 42 ive played compared to any 882. the way I would describe it is kind of comparing conn vs bach. I find the 88h blows somewhat similarly to the 882 line where as the 42, like i mentioned, seems to like a fuller, better supported, more robust airstream. although all 3 are large bore tenors. I love both the 882 and 42 horns and enjoy the variety of colors and capabilities both bring. one thing to understand is the philosophy of the societies where each of these horns were born. bach's were born in america where society encourages individuality and uniqueness. people are encouraged to stand out from the crowd and be unique and be themselves. so a lot of these horns are honed more towards being capable of standing out. the Yamaha is born in japan, which is what i like to call lending itself to the "japanese sound." japan is a country where people arent encouraged to stand out as much. Where society prefers conformity over individuality. you are encouraged to fit in and blend in rather than stand out as an individual. as such, you might find that the 882 and most yamahas tends to be very good at blending in with the rest of the band/orch line or what I like to call fit in. but you'll probably see more 42's being played in lead position whereas 882's are more likely seen in the 2nd/3rd positions or in bands/orchs where trombones are more expected to blend in and fit in rather than be more prominently featured in the selected works. the 882s are very nice horns and i do think in many cases, they tend to lend themselves to 2nd and 3rd or lower positions where they can blend in and not stand out while still providing the richness and color of a excellent horn. and a good 42 will be an excellent lead horn. of course a lot of the color and how it sounds and if the horn "sounds interesting" can come down the specific example of either horn line and more importantly how the player plays the horn. both the 882 and the 42 can be wonderful lead/solo horns with the right player behind them. if you like hte 882 and want to play similar horns, id recommend looking at the 42 line of any rotor variation and the 88h line of any wrap or rotor variation. these 3 horns are kinda the 3 musketeers before id say you start looking at boutique brands but that's a whole different tax bracket.

[@cpg2198]

I wonder how the Yamaha would play with a griego gp

[@AidanRitchie]

I'll try my Markey on it later this week